April 2013 Posts

Publishing Conference that Was Rescheduled and Rearranged

David Wong addresses 40 people at UMD

David Wong addresses 40 people at UMD

Architect, author or urban ecologist David Wong of Vancouver BC extended his stay through Monday.

Chop suey houses recognized by new regime as detrimental

From 100 years ago — April 17, 1913 — Duluth News Tribune:

Springs Eternal.

I was running the trail in Lower Chester this morning when I glimpsed something odd out of the corner of my eye . Looking down, I beheld this bewildering loose sprig laying right in the middle of the trail. Quite real, and I can’t even begin to explain it. But at this moment, in the latter half of April, as winter is pumping yet another shell into the chamber, I offer it that it might elicit the same emotion it stirred in me: hope.

New stuff in Canal Park

The Rustic Olive, an olive oil and balsamic vinegar bar, opened in the Paulucci Building on Dec. 8. The store doesn’t have a sign or a website, but both are coming soon. There is a Facebook page, though. The owners are Tom and Tami Thoma. They have another store in Wisconsin.

Emily and Joel Vikre are planning to open a distillery next to the Rustic Olive. What kind of “spirits” will be distilled is left vague on the Vikre Distillery website, but bourbon and gin are the words on the street. Apparently the state legislature has work to do before Vikre is allowed to offer samples.

One block away, Amazing Grace Bakery & Cafe is apparently looking to add a few intoxicating beverages to its offerings. Next week’s Duluth City Council meeting agenda includes a resolution “approving the issuance of an on sale wine license and issuing a 3.2 percent malt liquor license.”

Of course, we are morally obligated to remind you that Canal Park remains a Skateboarders GTFO area.

Homegrown Band Publicity Photo Showdown: Quarterfinals

With the Homegrown Music Festival coming up, PDD launched a series of polls two months ago, tournament style, to determine which Duluth-area band has the sweetest pic. It is now down to the Final Four: Breanne Marie, Tangier 57, Southwire and Charlie Parr.

Quarterfinal #1:

Left: Breanne Marie (photo by Katlyn Kretzchmar)
Right: Tangier 57 (photo by Patrice Bradley)

Which band has the better publicity photo?

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This poll is now closed. The results were:

Tangier 57 – 78.1 percent
Breanne Marie – 21.9 percent

Quarterfinal #2:


Left: Southwire (photo by Rich Narum)
Right: Charlie Parr (photo by Peter Lee)

Which band has the better publicity photo?

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This poll is now closed. The results were:

Charlie Parr – 63.6 percent
Southwire – 36.4 percent

Note: Only people who are logged in to their Perfect Duluth Day blogging account are allowed to vote (to prevent people from voting multiple times). To create an account, click here. If you need help figuring it out, click here.

Downer Movie and Dietary Rethinking

Hey, Zinema. Leviathan was a total downer.

Homegrown Radio

Homegrown Radio is up and running! Listen to all your local favorites online.

Sounds of Summer

[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at the source.]

“Cabin Doors”
Video by Brian Dehler
Shot in Ely

Smashing ice at the Duluth Curling Club

[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at the source.]

If the spring weather has you frustrated, perhaps you’ll find this video cathartic.

PDD Banners

On June 29 PDD will be awarding $100 to the person who submits the best new banner. Everyone who has submitted one since Jan. 1 will be eligible. Pre-2013 banners will be pulled from rotation on June 29, but will be kept in archival storage and maintained by nice librarians with white cotton gloves at Google Plus. Banners from 2005-2009 can be found here.

We’re also looking for new Homegrown banners. Those submissions will be eligible for the same $100 prize. For full details on banner submissions, click here. The basic info is the image must be 960 pixels wide by 167 pixels high. The Perfect Duluth Day logo will be added by PDD’s art department. Send them to banners @ perfectduluthday.com

“The Main” Trailer

In 1982 Bob Jansen was fired from his job as a college professor for being gay. After suing the institution that fired him, he took his settlement money to open the first openly gay bar in the Duluth/Superior region: The Main Club. The Main follows Jansen’s history and the history of the bar while exploring social trends that may threaten the continued existence of historically significant queer spaces like the Main Club.

Directed by Julie Casper Roth.

Low – “Just Make it Stop”

Video by Phil Harder.

Spring and plants and snails will come. Just wait.

Recent comments feature maybe sort of fixed, we hope; PDD mobile version turned off temporarily

The little spot over in the left column that highlights which posts have new comments should be working properly now. Let us know if it’s doing anything funky for you.

We broke it three weeks ago while fixing something else. Now that it’s fixed, the new problem is that it leaves an ugly gap in the left column if you’ve read all the recent comments. We’ll fix that soon and then watch what breaks the minute we do.

Also, as those of you who read PDD on your phones or tablets may have noticed, we turned off PDD’s mobile version. This is a temporary measure. The mobile version was whacking out our regular site … yadda yadda … we’ll get the geeks on it eventually, and we apologize for the inconvenience.

Yakima Hack

Through some horse trading and good luck, I’ve acquired two Yakima Rocket Boxes. I would like to mount them both on the current touring rig for our upcoming summer travels, but they both hinge the same direction. I really don’t want to mount one backward, and therefore am trying to figure out if the hinges can be switched with any success.

This week: smelt, bowls and vinyl

  

Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.

This week is Eat Downtown Week with $10 and $20 prix fixe menus in participating downtown restaurants.

The annual Empty Bowl fundraiser for Second Harvest Food Bank is Tuesday with a silent auction today at the Depot.

The Duluth Public Library is unloading all of its vinyl on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Godspell, a modern musical based on the stories and teachings of Jesus, goes up at the Duluth Playhouse on Thursday and runs for three weekends. It will be performed in the round.

Wise Fool Shakespeare presents James DeVita performing In Acting Shakespeare at the Fitger’s Spirit of the North Theater on Thursday and Saturday.

You have a choice of Vagina Monologues on Friday at AICHO and UMD.

You can sing along with the Sound of Music at CSS on Saturday.

Saturday is Bat Appreciation Day at Gooseberry Falls.

The second annual Run Smelt Run Parade is Sunday starting at the Lift Bridge in Canal Park.

So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.